EndSARS protesters shut down economic activities in Ado Ekiti

Most business and office activities were on Monday, brought to a halt in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital as protest by youths under the umbrella of EndSARS took a new turn.

The protesting youths, in their hundreds took over every corner of the state capital for hours, forcing both human and vehicular movements to a standstill.

As early as 7:00am, the rampaging youths who ignored an earlier police warning issued on Sunday, following an attack on a police facility in the state, took to the streets barricading every inter-state and inter-city roads of the ancient city in wild protest.

Virtually all the strategic roads in the metropolis were blocked by the youths, comprising students, motorcycle riders, commercial drivers, civil society bodies and other unemployed individuals.

Major areas affected in the latest onslaught include the old and new Garage area, Oja Oba, Fajuyi Park, Okeyinmi, Ijigbo, Basiri, Matthew area, Ajilosun, as well as the overhead bridge linking Ado Ekiti with towns in Oyo, Osun and Lagos states.

Our correspondent reports that many pupils and students in public and private schools, were prevented from proceeding to their schools due to heavy blockade of all access roads.

In the same circumstance, those who had earlier resumed in schools were hurriedly asked to return home to prevent being caught in the web.

Also, scores of civil servants, who were on their way to work became stranded on the way while some of them were seen returning home in frustration.

The protesters, who flaunted the Nigerian flag, sang all manners of derisive songs to mock the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

As they matched from one point to the other, they also sang the Nigerian and Ekiti Anthems, querying the rationale behind the lopsidedness in the distribution of the nation’s wealth.

They mounted barricades and forced commuters to trek several metres or kilometres before getting to their respective destinations.

One of them, who identified himself as Joseph Dada addressed newsmen at Fajuyi area and attributed the protests across the nation to lackluster and inept dispositions of the Buhari led government.

He said: “Enough is enough, it is not only SARS we are fighting against. How can SARS be killing people all over the place? How can a bag of rice be sold for N40,000? How can a governor bought the votes to win reelection even when he has not done anything to justify his re- election?

“See how our youths were being killed everyday. No job, no food, no house to live. We are all suffering and we are saying these must stop.

“Petrol is now sold for N160 per litre and the electricity tariff has gone up. We are now forced to pay higher tariff for total darkness. This is callous and it must stop”.

NAN recalls that the protests started in Ado Ekiti recently with the most dangerous event witnessed on Friday when the protesters had besieged the House of Assembly to disrupt the state of the state address being presented by Gov. Kayode Fayemi to mark his second year in office.

The protesters became unruly and it took the intervention of the police, who whisked the governor and rescued him out of the assembly complex unhurt.

Also on Saturday, the protesters invaded the second largest town in the state, Ikere Ekiti where they vandalised property including vehicles worth several millions at the Divisional Police Headquarters located in the town.